How much screen time is okay? What the research says and how we handle it.
This question comes up in almost every family. And the honest answer is: there is no single number that works for everyone. But there is guidance. And there is a difference between what guidelines recommend and what actually works in everyday family life.
What the guidelines say
The German Society for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine recommends:
- Under 3 years: no screen media. Exception: video calls.
- 3 to 6 years: a maximum of 30 minutes, not every day, ideally always with a parent or caregiver present.
- 6 to 9 years: a maximum of 30 to 45 minutes per day.
- 10 to 12 years: a maximum of 60 minutes per day.
The WHO recommends similar limits. Both emphasise: less is better. Children miss nothing by spending less time in front of screens.
Source: DGKJ S2k guideline, AWMF Register No. 027-075, 2023.
What the research actually shows
Not all screen time is the same. Passive scrolling without any adult involvement is the greatest risk, not the number of minutes itself. What is consistently supported by evidence: screen use directly before sleep, or screens in the bedroom, measurably disrupts sleep. This applies to all age groups.
Whether screen time is harmful depends strongly on how children organise their time overall and what other activities they engage in. Watching together, active content and clear transitions change the picture entirely.
What actually helps in everyday life
Counting minutes is exhausting. And leads to arguments. What works better:
Units instead of minutes. One episode, one level, until the next save point. Children understand this immediately and the ending is clear.
Fixed offline times. Mealtimes, the bedroom, the hour before sleep. No negotiating, just the way it is.
Reflecting on your own behaviour. Children follow what adults do. Anyone who constantly checks their own phone loses credibility.
How we handle it
We asked our children (aged 7 and 9) to decide for themselves what felt right. The result surprised us: they chose less than we expected.
This is what our everyday life looks like:
- Two screen-free days per week. The children suggested this themselves.
- 20 minutes on weekdays. Also their decision.
- Friday evening film night. Together, intentional, in German.
- Media in English during the week, in German on Fridays.
- Saturdays and Sundays we negotiate depending on the weather and how everyone is feeling.
What we have learnt: children who are allowed to decide for themselves argue less about switching off. The agreement belongs to them, not to us.
A weekly model instead of daily control
Instead of counting minutes every day, a weekly model can take the pressure off: which days are screen-free? On which days does a time rule apply? When are there exceptions like film night or the weekend? This creates predictability for children and parents alike. Our media agreement provides a simple template for exactly this weekly model, to fill in together.
Kuratu verdict
Time limits are a useful starting point. But the better question is not how long, but what, with whom, and what happens afterwards.
One thing that always applies: no screens directly before bed. This is the one recommendation on which the research is genuinely clear.
And: involving children changes the dynamic entirely. An agreement they helped to make is worth far more than any rule that only the parents made.